Political Women’s Fiction. Is there even such a thing? Umm, maybe? First, let me explain what I mean by the term: Women's Fiction = novels usually written by women, and always for an intended female audience. They must have a strong female protagonist who engages in a journey of self-discovery. Romantic, family, or rags-to-riches subplots can certainly be part of the story, but they are …
Book Review: Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch
I remember noticing Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing in Target’s book section, back when it first came out in 2020. Even though I love politics and I love books by Allison Winn Scotch, I deliberately didn’t pick it up, since I was in the middle of trying to publish Favorite Daughters. I’ll admit it: I panicked a bit. An accomplished, skilled writer already had a woman-in-politics book out there. Would there be room for mine? (I had the same reaction when I saw that Curtis Sittenfeld had published …
Book Review: Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie
Catherine McKenzie has written another riveting novel, which is a mixture of domestic drama and psychological suspense. The protagonist is Jennifer, a 48-year-old grandmother (she had her daughters young) who, in the first chapter, discovers she has terminal brain cancer. Everything about Jennifer’s life has been unexpected, and now her death will be the same. Jennifer dropped out of med school when she became pregnant. Later, she found out that she had triplets, but two of them were …
How to Write a Short Story for Beginners: The Sensory Story
Sensory Story Writing
This post describes how to write a short story for beginners, or if you’re a teacher, activities for teaching short stories. There is a sensory story example, and there are also sensory story writing prompts at the end. You can use the exercises and examples below either for your own writing or for your students. A great way to begin writing short stories is through the sensory story. A sensory story focuses on using imagery to create …Book Review: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
"Ah Reader. Must I know and provide an answer for everything?" On December 3, 1926 Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days. This was after her husband, Archibald Christie, told Agatha that he was leaving her for a younger woman. Then she took off, leaving Archie and their young daughter, Teddy, without an explanation. Agatha resurfaced of course, and she went on to write many novels and eventually remarry. But why did she disappear, and what did she do during that time? It remains a …